


Cursed With Knowledge: Tony Stark and Overexcitabilities

by The Corellian Pirate (Turhaya_Hundteth)



Series: The Literary Analysis Series [7]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Analysis, Character Analysis, Overexcitabilities, Psychology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28438851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turhaya_Hundteth/pseuds/The%20Corellian%20Pirate
Summary: Most people put Tony’s erratic behaviour down to him being a spoilt, rich, playboy, but could it be due to his gifted IQ?This analysis piece looks at Tony Stark, and whether he has 'Overexcitabilities' (OEs) associated with highly gifted. We will examine Tony's OE traits, what those traits mean for his life, and the problems living with OE can create.
Series: The Literary Analysis Series [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910779
Kudos: 6





	Cursed With Knowledge: Tony Stark and Overexcitabilities

  
  


Tony Stark is without a doubt a gifted character, but there’s one thing about Tony that no one talks about – whether he has Overexcitabilities.  
  


Most people put Tony’s erratic behaviour down to him being a spoilt, rich, playboy, but could it be due to his gifted IQ?

Overexcitability was a term coined in psychology by Kazimierz Dąbrowski. Overexcitability is a rough translation of the Polish, which more accurately means 'superstimulatability'.

It basically means a heightened ability to receive and respond to stimuli and is most often found in creative and gifted individuals (i.e., people with high IQs). Overexcitabilities, or ‘OEs’ are an in increased sensitivity, awareness, and intensity of experience, and represent a real difference in the fabric of life and the way people with OEs experience the world. As Dabrowski said, “One who manifests several forms of overexcitability, sees reality in a different, stronger and more multisided manner” (Dabrowski, 1972, p. 7).

Dabrowski identified five OEs: Psychomotor, Sensual, Intellectual, Imaginational, and Emotional. A person may have one or more of these, and to varying degrees.

It may sound like a great idea at first – always experiencing life with the volume cranked up to 11 – but it means that the bad experiences are just as potent as the good ones. Nothing comes without its downside. Each OE comes with both amazing benefits, and outstanding pains in the ass.

You see, the IQ of the population can be expressed as a bell curve, with the average being right in the middle, where the majority of the population sit. On either end, where there are few people, are both those with very low and very high IQs.

Life, generally speaking, is set at a pace which suits the middle of the bell curve – for example, schooling. The amount of time a child spends in school is arbitrarily set, but children develop at a vast range of speeds.

And being in a small population on the outlying ends of the curve can sometimes get very lonely.

Not every gifted person ends up a scientific rockstar or a nobel prize winner. Some of them are going about ordinary lives, not even aware they have OEs. And some are struggling with those lives. But there’s not a lot of information out there about OE and adults. Giftedness is normally discussed in terms of education and schooling, focussing on children. And a lot of people are being misdiagnosed with things like ADHD, depression and bi-polar.

Those are the ones who need help and raised awareness of OEs. Poor bastards out there that haven’t had their ‘Aha!’ moment, and realised that what was ‘wrong’ with them was having OEs. The loss of underutilised good a gifted person could do is a sad thing. But it’s nowhere near as depressing as the thought of poor gifted bastards sitting at home, not knowing who they are, thinking they’re freaks, and living in misery. And I should know, because up until a year ago, I was one of those sad pricks.

Tony Stark makes a great case study, because not only is he so familiar in pop culture, but he has the ‘perfect life’. Which just goes to show that no matter how awesome your life seems, living with OE presents difficulty even in the most glamourous of homes. And if that’s the case then we need to consider what living with OE is like for those who aren’t billionaire, playboy philanthropists.

I’m going to look at the five overexcitabilities as described by Dabrowski, and the traits Tony displays in the MCU. I’ll then go into how his OE might be affecting his adult life.

Hopefully, at the end of this post we’ll have achieved:

  * Solid evidence that Tony Stark probably has OEs
  * An understanding of the issues this can cause in adult life
  * An over all better understanding of what things are like living with OEs



## OE 1 - Psychomotor

Heightened excitability of the neuromuscular system. Results in a capacity for being active and energetic, a love of movement, and a whole lot of surplus of energy and an actual need for physical action. Some key characteristics include:

  * Competitiveness
  * Compulsive organizing, systematising or controlling
  * Compulsive talking (disruptive, interrupting)
  * Impulsive behaviour
  * Physical expression of emotions (gestures, outbursts)
  * Preference for fast action and sports
  * Nervous habits and tics
  * Rapid speech
  * Sleeplessness
  * Manic-like behaviour



Tony displays the following behaviours in the MCU:

  * High energy
  * Zero poker face, and big facial expressions (think the eyerolling meme)
  * Continually tapping, or otherwise fidgeting, and has an inability to sit still for long
  * Big gesturing and pacing when he gets excited
  * Competitiveness with Captain America and Doctor Strange
  * Interrupts people and talks fast
  * Likes fast cars and flight suits
  * Shows sleeplessness, lack of eating, and other manic-like behaviours when on a ‘thought bender’ or ‘passion project’. In Ironman 3, he stayed up 72 hours straight*
  * Appears unorganised, but everything to do with his work (passion) is highly organised



*When you're not the great Tony Stark, people worry these behaviours are a sign of you needing help. They often encourage you to put down your project and 'relax', but with OE, being away from your work just compounds the restlessness.

## OE 2 - Sensual

Intensified experience of anything affecting one of the five senses, i.e. sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. It manifests as love of music, language, and art, and delight from tastes, smells, textures, sounds, and sights. Conversely, extreme irritation and disgust are also experienced with bad stimuli:

  * Appreciation of beauty, whether in writing, music, art or nature
  * Craving for pleasure
  * Need or desire for comfort
  * Sensitivity to pollution
  * Sensitive to smells, tastes, or textures of foods
  * Tactile sensitivity (bothered by the feel of some materials on the skin or clothing tags)
  * Seeks attention
  * Substance abuse (to either dull or amplify experiences)
  * Eating disorders



Tony exhibits this when we see:

  * He doesn’t like to be handed things or shake hands with strangers, and is an awkward hugger*
  * Loves sex (pleasure seeker)
  * Alcoholic
  * Attention seeker, who loves the spotlight
  * Appreciates aesthetic: music and food, cars, art, architecture
  * Loves loud and heavy music, vivid colours, and luxurious textures in his home
  * Loves cheeseburgers (comfort food)



*There's pleasant touch and there's unpleasant touch, and strange people can prompt anxieties that makes touching them physically become an unpleasant sensation. On the other hand, you're always wanting to physically connect with people you like, and constantly hug your friends. I know this sounds contradictory, but you're experiencing the extremes of everything, and there's people you want to touch, and people you don't. 

## OE 3 - Intellectual

Extreme desire to seek understanding and truth, to gain knowledge, and to analyse information. Curious, avid readers, and keen observers. They frequently love thinking purely for the sake of thinking.

  * Analytical thinking
  * Asking probing questions
  * Avid reading
  * Concentration, ability to maintain intellectual effort
  * Deep curiosity
  * Independent thinking
  * Love of knowledge and learning
  * Love of problem-solving
  * Theoretical thinking
  * Strong focus on moral thinking
  * Rebellious



Tony’s intellectual OE traits include:

  * He’s Tony Stark. He’s a genius…
  * Thirst for truth and a problem solver
  * Notices things others don’t (That man is playing Galaga!)
  * Exceptional guesser and pattern spotter (Let’s pull a time heist…)
  * Threatened by other smart people (Strange, Thanos), or else fascinated by them (Banner, Loki)
  * Impatient with slow people (Quill, Drax)
  * Doesn’t like it when the rest of the class can’t keep up (Was I the only one who did the reading?)
  * Loves doing the reading…
  * Easily fixated and obsessive with intellectual tasks
  * Questions everything, particularly authority and the status quo (What were you lying again, Nick?)
  * Does not play well with others
  * Rebellious



## OE 4 - Imaginative

Intensified play of the imagination, use of metaphor, vivid dreams and visions:

  * Daydreaming and inability to focus on tasks*
  * Detailed visualization
  * Fear of the unknown
  * Good sense of humour
  * Imaginary friends
  * Love of fantasy
  * Love of poetry, music, and drama
  * Magical thinking
  * Vivid dreams



Tony displays this through:

  * Idealistic visions not shared by others
  * Vivid dreamer (his dream about Morgan is so real to him)
  * Fear of the unknown and the future
  * Creative builder
  * Builds in detailed and visual manner
  * Sees detailed visions of his fears
  * Funny as fuck, and uses humour defensively and morbidly, as well as playfully
  * Terrible at remembering birthdays, deadlines and important dates or information (such as Pepper being allergic to strawberries)
  * Procrastinator on tasks he doesn’t want to do – avoids meetings and responsibilities



*I know this seems odd, given the intellectual OE which gives prolonged periods of intense focus, but you're so distracted by your own mind and inner thoughts, you lose track of time and forget to do OTHER stuff. That's why Tony forgets Pepper's birthday. It's not that he doesn't care, or Pepper isn't important to him, it's just that he _can't remember because his mind lives in another place_. I have shamefully forgotten my own parent's birthdays on more than one occasion. I am a complete asshole - but I don't mean to be.

## OE 5 - Emotional

Intense feelings, complex emotions, identification with others' feelings, and extreme experiences of emotional events:

  * Anxiety
  * Concern for others
  * Depression
  * Extremes of emotion (outburst, mood swings)
  * Feelings of guilt and sense of responsibility
  * Feelings of inadequacy and inferiority
  * A heightened sense of right and wrong or injustice and hypocrisy
  * Loneliness
  * Need for security
  * Physical response to emotions (stomach aches caused by anxiety, for example)
  * Problems adjusting to change
  * Strong memory of feelings
  * Timidity and shyness
  * Empathy and altruistic thinking



Tony shows a lot of these:

  * Trouble setting and observing personal boundaries
  * Paranoid needs for security and obsessing over the safety of loved ones
  * Feeling of responsibility for the Avengers
  * Loneliness and isolation (He tells Pepper he needs her help with his Arc reactor because he has no one else)
  * Self-destructive tendencies
  * Anxious
  * Emotionally extreme (Tony isn’t exactly calm)
  * Mistrust of the team
  * Emotional baggage carried heavily - from his parent’s death
  * Heavily reliant on people he trusts (Pepper, Happy)
  * Willing to sacrifice himself, but not others
  * Super defensive in relationships (can’t patch it with Cap, can’t get over Winter Solider thing)
  * Expects to make past mistakes again
  * Beats himself up
  * Narcissistic / huge ego, but still doubts own capabilities
  * Generous
  * Prone to physical panic attacks (Ironman 3)



## OE Problems

These OEs can cause Tony problems. Unique problems specific to having OEs. Ones an intelligent person like Bruce Wayne, who probably doesn’t have OEs, might not face.

Think about Bruce, and you’ll understand he’s not like Tony. Batman is far more in control of his emotions, and while he exhibits intellectual drive and purpose, he doesn’t exhibit the behaviours (or inability to control those behaviours) like Tony does. The compulsive and erratic mannerisms aren’t present in the Batman, like they are in the Ironman, and while Bruce experiences his fair share of issues due to his childhood trauma, Tony’s issues are rather different.

Remember, Bruce only _pretends_ to be a playboy, because he's hiding as Batman. Tony compulsively tells people he is Ironman, and picks a fight with the Mandarin - he can't really be anyone but himself.

Below are some of the issues we know Tony faces, which could stem from his OEs. I’ll talk a little bit about how I experience some of the same issues for a twist of ‘non-billionaire’ perspective.

** Physically **

  * Alcoholism / Addiction



Fun and games. We know Tony drinks, and many people living with OE are functioning (and very smart) alcoholics. Substance use can come from a need for altered sensory experience, a way to deal with emotional OEs and trauma, or a way to simply dull down the volume on the old grey matter. Plus, caffeine and nicotine are like gold for an active mind, so they're easily formed into unhealthy habits.

  * Works long hours and risks burnout due to ill health (not eating or sleeping)



When you pace the floor continually, sleep three hours a night, and hardly eat, it can really screw with your body. But that’s how I get when I’m on a creative bender.

We know Tony is similar. He gets in manic-like and obsessive states about his work due to his intellectual and imaginative OEs and doesn’t sleep, doesn’t eat, and drives Pepper up the fucking wall. Not only does this kind of behaviour drive your spouse bat-shit crazy, but it’s really unhealthy. 72 hours with no sleep and little food is not good, Mr Stark.

** Relationships **

  * Difficulty keeping relationships and investing time in them



When you’re up all night inventing new things, or whatever the fuck it is your obsessing over, you start to withdraw into your mental bubble. Family suffers. Relationships suffer. You’re present in body, but your mind is trapped elsewhere trying to solve that impossible time heist thingy.

You can’t focus. You don’t listen to what Pepper is saying, and she gets pissy when you never seem to give a shit about her thoughts. Which you do, it’s just your brain is whirring so loudly right now, it’s the only thing you can hear. You need a distractionless workspace, but people keep barging in with meetings and adulting and life, and oh shit, is that the time? Fuck I'm late for my jet plane...

  * Leans heavily on support network



I can’t tie my shoelaces without my Pepper. Because I have very few friends, I lean heavily on them, and because my problems are weird and complex, they’re weighty to share. Tony is a very high maintenance partner…

  * Clingy



The emotional attachment to those you love means you’re not willing to risk your family to save half the universe. End of story. He is so angry at Steve Rodgers in End Game - not because Cap did anything wrong, or because he didn't win - Tony was angry at Cap, because he felt _abandoned_.

  * Suspicious and easily jealous



Yeah, when your brain likes to connect dots all the time, sometimes it does it with dots that aren’t supposed to be joined. Like if you took a join-the-dot picture and connected ALL the dots to ALL the other dots. Now, instead of a dinosaur, you’ve got a page that looks like it was graffitied by a crack addicted spider.

I read between the lines all the time. I don’t mean to. I just do. It’s that over-active imagination and propensity for recognising patterns. Tony Stark is a similarly suspicious shit when it comes to Pepper and Aldridge. In a marriage, mistrust quickly turns ugly.

  * Sex life



Well, you’d expect a good-looking billionaire to screw his brains out at every available opportunity. But you should probably expect any adult with sensual OE to really enjoy sex too. Although sensual OE doesn’t necessary refer to sexual activity, you’ve gotta admit that when it comes to the five senses, sex is pretty fucking engaging. Sight, sound, taste, smell and touch, are all on full alert, and when experiences are more vivid and complex, great experiences become _amazing_.

Couple that with emotional OE – and the positive emotional aspects of sex – and it’s a pretty powerful cocktail for someone who experiences the world at volume 11.

Hell, some OEs are awesome when it comes to sex! You can make fast and furious emotional connections. You’re ‘intense’ (some partners like that and some don’t, but the ones who like it tend to _love it_ ). You’re probably highly energetic if you have psychomotor OE. And tactile sensitivity?! Worst thing ever for wearing woollen clothing, but sensational for fucking.

Besides, with your highly quick-witted and articulate ways, you can probably charm your way into most pants… if that person doesn’t figure out you’re neurotic, existentially obsessed, nutcase first….

On the downside, it’s no secret the single Tony Stark fucked pretty much whatever he wanted. Pepper, as result, was wary of being seen with Tony, as he was seen as a bit of a man-slut. So, there’s the social stigma, as well as the potential to spend a lot of your time chasing your pleasure hits (like an addictive / obsessive person does). Also, if Tony doesn’t suffer intellectual fools lightly, I can only imagine he’s the same with an anything-less-than-mind-blowing fuck. That one-night-and-I'm-bored attitude can be seen as callousness, and Pepper takes out the trash. I’d wager Tony would be both picky, and very demanding, and if you couldn't keep up with his needs, he'd get rid of you quickly because he gets bored easily.

** Psychological **

  * Can’t drop it and walk away
  * Trying to outrun or out-think your problems
  * Emotional baggage and scars
  * Emotional outbursts
  * Existential depression and paranoia
  * Perfectionism and self-sabotage



I’m not going into these at depth. They all suck. Tony’s trauma from his parents dying hit him hard. He was still trying to get them back as funky sunglasses holograms years later. His responsibility to the Avengers lies heavily on him too. We all know the dude isn’t happy.

It’s unfortunate this cluster of fuckery is the stuff that leads to really bad consequences for most people. Misdiagnosed as bi-polar, depressed etc. Actually becoming depressed, anxious and suicidal. Self-loathing. All sorts of horrible bullshit.

The vividness of Tony’s imagination means that he sees the worst possible outcomes and scenarios. When he’s awake he worries incessantly. When he sleeps, his fears follow him in the form of lucid, terrifying dreams. For people with OEs, their fears are very real. And they _obsess._

 _Don't forget, bad experiences come in at volume 11._ For anyone with OE, trauma hits hard. Trauma like your parents being killed by the Winter Soldier, or being taken captive by bomb-building asswipes... or any form of abuse, loss, or tragedy.

It hits really hard. It is continually relived in vivid, rich, detail, through obsessive memories and lucid nightmares. Guilt, regret and fear are overthought and blown up to unwieldy sizes. The 'coulda, shoulda, woulda' inner dialogue becomes all-consuming. You beat yourself up - cruelly and callously - because how could someone like you have been so stupid to let that happen to you? You start to self-loathe. It's no different to anyone else's pain or guilt, but it's louder, richer, and it never leaves you alone.

Feeling pain at volume 11 it not something I wish on anyone, ever, OEs or not.

** Workplace **

  * Can’t teamwork



Lack of patience for morons like Steve Rogers can cause friction. Cap barely gets pop-culture references and it’s no wonder Tony has little time for him. You don’t want to hear those magical words from your boss “You don’t have a lot of patience for people who can’t keep up with your ideas, and relationships are becoming strained with so-and-so”.

  * Risk taker



If your boss checks your stuff, you’re fine, because someone can tell you to slow down and re-check your work. But Tony likes to make radical decisions, and has no one to overrule him (like shutting down the weapons division on the spur of the moment). If you’re self-employed, look out. Have someone you trust to run decisions by, and _let them slow you down._

  * Rubs people up the wrong way continually



Big gestures, rapid talk, pacing, intensity, and huge facial expressions don’t go down well in workplaces, and Tony often rubs others up the wrong way.

Problem is anyone with psychomotor OE will get that way when they talk about their passions. But manic-like behaviour can be seen as an outburst, and next thing you know, your impassioned plea for your colleagues to look at the data more closely, lands you in front of HR again. When you're right, you're right, but remain calm...

  * Seen as negative or a troublemaker



Tony likes the truth. He likes to tell it. Other people don’t like to hear it. And questioning your boss on _everything_ drives them insane. You're ability to see potential risks and compulsion to tell the truth (bluntly) may appear to be negative attitude, where you're just trying to help. And beware of dismissing other's stupidly thought out ideas too quickly... it's fucking rude, even if it's true.

** Socially **

  * Laughs inappropriately (making a murder-bot is funny, right?) and people think he doesn’t care
  * Difficulty making friends
  * Can be overly blunt to the point of being rude, due to impatience with others
  * Seen as aloof, arrogant, and reclusive
  * Intense as fuck



Tony doesn’t make friends easily, even though he has many admirers. People who really get to know him find him difficult to deal with and keep up with.

That’s your lot with OE. People don’t see the world the same way you do, and they won’t fully understand you. Your complex quirks will be misinterpreted, your behaviour barely tolerated, and don’t even think of being able to have an intellectual conversation with anyone but Banner, because he’s the only one who will make any sense to you.

You exist on the extremity of the bell curve. It’s a fucking lonely place. Adapt or die. Learn to play nice with the other superheroes.

** Problems Tony _doesn’t_ face **

Ironman has resources at his disposal, and a unique lifestyle most of us can only dream of. Here’s a list of problems Tony is lucky enough to avoid.

  * Coming out



When you’ve been bullied as a kid for being an egghead, it quickly teaches you not to reveal your IQ to anyone. As far as you’re concerned, there can only be two possible reactions when you tell people you’re gifted – they’ll either hate you for it, or they’ll ask you to perform tricks like a circus monkey. Besides, no one who feels lonely anxiety is going to further differentiate themselves from everyone else. Nope. Not doing it.

Tony’s a fucking rockstar, and everyone loves him and celebrates his talents. Lucky bastard.

  * Bored at work



Tony Stark can do whatever the hell he likes. He doesn’t have to worry about lack of variety, being under-stimulated, or being frustrated with restrictions. Not all of us are so lucky. You can’t just walk into any job, lay your IQ on the table, and expect them to hire you. Not when you have no experience and qualifications, and especially when your OEs make you difficult to get along with.

  * No means to chase dreams



Do you know how expensive it is to build an Ironman suit? Tony dreams, and immediately has the means to turn his ideas into reality. Not everyone is so lucky. Invention prototypes take money. Creative works take time and resources. Education costs. Materials and tools cost. Start-up businesses cost.

  * Lack of qualifications



As per above – education is expensive. Doesn’t matter what your grades are, if you can’t afford food, rent, tuition and other costs, you cannot participate in education. Not everyone can afford to take time off work to pursue career change education later in life. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, if you don’t have letters after your name, employers don’t seem to care.

  * No excuses for bad behaviour



Tony gets off the hook a lot for wild behaviour. Not everyone has their own clean-up crew or is forgiven so easily for erratic behaviour.

  * Lack of resources for mental health



Money makes the world go around. Worse, OE is not widely understood. If you’re lucky enough to be speaking to a professional, it’s unlikely they’ll know about OEs.

  * Shame of being an under-achiever



Howard would be proud of Tony. I’m sure of it. Most parents are proud of their kids at any rate, but a gifted person might feel they’re not meeting their full potential, even if others don’t share that view. They may suffer internalised shame as a result.

  * Lack of peers and mentors



Who in the hell can I talk to about any of my intellectual passions? I don’t have a Banner in my life. Part of the reason people with imaginative and intellectual OE may be reclusive, is that they don’t feel like they have anyone to talk to about their ideas on a level they need. All they can do is think it over.

  * Lack of stimulation / overstimulation



Living with a person who has intense OEs, is like keeping an elephant in your backyard. It’s resource intensive, needs space, and is difficult to handle. If you live in the ‘burbs, it’s not an ideal pet.

If Tony is overstimulated, he has the means to escape and get away for a while. He’s the boss, and can drop everything and leave at will, flying his personal jet to wherever. If he’s bored, he can fix that too, and just drive in a grand-prix or something.

  * Imposter Syndrome



Can you tell the difference between a portrait which has been drawn by diligently and systematically copying a photo, and one which has been drawn from purely from memory? Can you tell the difference between a stand-up comic who writes their jokes and practices them, and one who talks completely off the cuff? Can you tell the difference between a poem which took hours to carefully wordsmith for a desired audience reaction, and one that was written in a furious flow of inspired passion? Can you tell which students studied hard, and which students breezed through class, by looking simply at the final exam result?

No, you can’t.

So, whatever special little things you can do when you are gifted, three things may occur:

  1. If you are self-taught (which you probably are, because unlike Tony Stark, you can’t afford Everything I Like to Learn lessons) you may not have a specified system of how you do things, or even _understand_ how you do things. Maybe they just come naturally, and it’s easier not to actively think about it. So, you feel a bit dumb, because you don’t understand your own methods.
  2. Your talents don’t feel all that special, because you see heaps of other people out there doing “the same thing”, and probably doing it better than you, because they have all the tricks, techniques, and methods up their sleeves.
  3. As a result of the above two, you think you’re a complete phony, and not actually gifted whatsoever.



  * Systems don’t suit you



The world isn’t built with OEs in mind, and not everyone has the resources to adapt their environment to suit their OEs. A particular issue for people with sensual OEs. You can’t be picky about the fabric of your work uniform or stop the neighbour’s dog yapping. You can’t avoid strangers touching you when you commute in peak hour. You have to keep society's sleep cycles, meal cycles, and social rhythms.

If Tony doesn’t like the way things works, he just ‘cuts the wire’ and finds a better solution.

  * Lack of purpose



_I am Ironman._

The ultimate purpose – save the universe…

When you don’t have purpose, you wonder why you’re here. Everyone does.

When you’re gifted, and don’t have purpose, it’s a cruel trick of life. Why on earth would you be _cursed with knowledge_ , if it wasn’t supposed to serve a purpose? Hell, even Thanos was lucky enough to be ‘blessed with purpose’.

You’re prone to existential over-thinking as it is. You’re altruistic, so you need to serve a greater good. You’re (in some ways) endlessly driven. Without direction, your thoughts get really fucked up. Volume 11 doubt of _why you’re even alive, when you’re clearly a hot mess and don’t fit in with society,_ is not good.

**Your Super-Heroic Mission**

Here is what I hope some of you might be able to help with.

If you know someone who exhibits the signs of having OEs, but has never discussed them, or doesn’t seem to know about OEs, PLEASE tell them to Google it.

Because the first step to dealing with all this crap is knowing about it. It’s a huge help. A massive help. One URL can mean a turning point in someone’s life. Often the discovery leads to immediate tears, and instant emotional relief. So just think of what a gift this might be to give to someone you know who could be struggling.

If you happen to know someone in the mental health industry who might deal with some very bright alcoholics, or intelligent bi-polar clients, tell them too. They can help recognise people who might be living with OEs and be currently mis-diagnosed.

If you've got OEs, you've probably recognised it by now. But if you don't have them yourself, how in the hell do you spot one of these gifted oddballs in an ordinary workplace or social setting? Someone who doesn't even know who they are?...

I'm by no means an expert, but being a good guesser - here's my best guesses...

**A guessed guide to spotting OEs**

  * They're great at their job and are very knowledgeable. Exceedingly fast learner and very curious. They seem to succeed easily. They grasp concepts easily and probably share this with others. They might help other people with problems, or have a knack for training new staff
  * Is very closed off and personal in some respects, but seems very open with their friends to the point of oversharing
  * Cannot sit still for long, fidgets, doodles on their note pad, has poor eye contact, and shows all signs of not paying attention in meetings, but somehow comes away with an essay's worth of meeting minutes
  * Can seem erratic, boisterous or moody, and doesn't play well with others, despite being passionate and altruistic
  * You have trouble telling if they are introverted or extroverted, and are not sure if they're analytical or creative because they seem to be all at once
  * They keep displaying unexpected knowledge and talents - you're constantly wondering why they're sitting in an office, and not an artist, writer or rockstar
  * Drives a car like a road-raging, lead-footed idiot
  * They're spectacularly funny at times, and morose and terse at others. They've told hilarious jokes, said stupidly insightful things, and caught people off guard with morbid and self-deprecating comments
  * They beat themselves up for mistakes like a motherfucker, work stupid hours, and obsess over things.
  * When they do make mistakes it's not because they're incompetent, but because they rushed something 
  * An unnatural level of passion for continuous improvement and always suggesting ways to make things better
  * Can get so caught up in work, they lose track of time, staying late unintentionally, and missing meetings
  * They barely eat lunch when they're working to a deadline. They probably have a 'work mum' or 'work spouse' who has to remind them to take breaks and eat food
  * They never seem to stop moving
  * They hug certain people all the time and completely avoid others
  * They're always fiddling with their clothes, scratching, tend to dress casual, and stick to certain types of clothes
  * Weirdly intellectual or highly creative hobbies
  * Drinks like a fish, and then quotes Socrates before picking a fist fight, and crying because they’re an embarrassment
  * REALLY intense at times, capable of both outbursts of manic laughter at a good joke, and giving a deadly thousand yard stare when some prick steals their lunch
  * Wins awards, gets compliments and does spectacular at work, but has also been in trouble over various behaviours and outbursts
  * There's certain colleagues this person just _cannot get along with_ , which is weird because everyone else at work seems to like them
  * Sometimes they get bored and just get outright disruptive, distracting others from their work or causing havoc in meetings



Life’s a complex shit fight to navigate at the best of times, but a high IQ doesn’t necessarily improve your lot, and in some cases it can make it markedly worse if you’re living with OEs, and things are screaming at you at volume 11.

Which is a fucking shame, because I believe there’s gifted people out there going to waste, not living their best lives, and worse, suffering in misery under the weight of their world.

Let’s not lose our collective Tony Starks to misdiagnoses and lack of information. Let’s find our people with OE and unleash their superpowers.

**Thanks for reading! If you liked this, please hit the kudos button to let me know.**


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